Balblair whisky – Highland

Balblair distillery information

The Balblair distillery was established in Edderton, Ross-shire in the Scottish Highlands in 1790 by John Ross, who was joined by his son Andrew in 1824. In 1862, the Highland Railway Company built a line between Inverness and Ardgay, passing closely by the distillery. Balblair remained in the hands of the Ross family until 1894, when it was bought by Alexander Cowan, a wine merchant from Inverness. Under Cowan’s guidance, the distillery was rebuilt (designed by famous distillery architect Charles C. Doig) closer to the railroad, roughly half a mile north of the old location, though they stuck to using the original water source (despite a nearby burn being available).

In 1911, Cowan was forced to mothball the distillery, and it remained closed until it was bought by Robert “Bertie” Cummings, a lawyer from Keith, in 1948. The distillery was reopened a year later. Cummings would also increased capacity and production, adding additional warehouses and a steam boiler in 1964, as well as adding a third still. In 1970, Cumming retired and sold the distillery to Hiram Walker; the company that would later become Allied Distillers. 10 years later, in 1980, it’s once again time for improvements; this time in the mash house. Two new steel grist bins are installed, and the roof is replaced.

In 1996, Balblair Distillery is bought by Inver House Distillers (who also operate Speyburn, Knockdhu, Old Pulteney and Balmenach).

Nowadays, Balblair is somewhat dwarfed by it’s famous neighbor in Tain, Glenmorangie. Roughly 15% of the whisky distilled at Balblair is sold as single malt. The majority will find its way into blends.

Balblair whisky

Rather than putting age labels on their bottles, Balblair chooses to simply add the year of distillation.